[Field of Lilies]

Originally Posted by carcanclaw

I checked out the manga... but I'm not really a fan of the dynamic between the two main characters.

All I can say to that, is to each their own It's a matter of personal taste and I can see why the character dynamic wouldn't appeal to everyone.

However, on the off chance there's someone reading this thread who's unfamiliar with the story, I can't help but feel the need to provide a different view on this:

Originally Posted by carcanclaw

I feel like the story is pushing Sawako to become "normal" by developing a relationship with someone like Kazehaya. She seems to be becoming less and less of a unique character as the series continues, like the only way to be happy is to be normal.

Because if there is one thing I feel you can't criticize this series off, it's forcing its lead to change to get to her Best End. There is no Beautiful All Along, it's Be Yourself if ever there was. Sawako didn't need to change anything about herself to get Kazehaya to notice and fall for her. Nor did she have to change anything to become friends with Chizu and Ayane. All she needed was the confidence and support to change people's perception of her. And this is something she wanted to change herself, even before meeting Kazehaya.

It's not saying "be a loner and be miserable for your entire life", it's saying "if you're a loner but don't want to be, you can change that. You don't need to change yourself, but you do need to show people the real you".